First is the OP. The bodice seems well fitted and the shape is okay, although I don't like the sleeves at all. The sleeves are split with the top being the main dress fabric, and then the bottom part being softer organza material. The combination of the 2 materials on the sleeves does not work with the puffy shape AP were aiming for. I also feel the 2 different materials and the scalloped "melty" hem make the sleeves look too busy, when there is already plenty of detail on the rest of the bodice. Personally, I would have made the whole of the sleeves organza. I do think the shape of the collar is really cute though and I like that AP haven't gone too far with the "melty" shape here. It just looks like a nice, scalloped collar, There is a waist bow, which I think is an okay size, and the shape of the bow is cute too. It holds its shape well and sits well on the dress. I like the continuation of the use of stripy organza here. The bodice features some subtle lines of silver lace, with some wider lace and a line of buttons in the middle. I like the lace choice here and how it isn't too overpowering. The lace sits nicely on the dress too. The star buttons are well spaced out and such a cute design. The collar has been finished off with a ribbon bow, which is a bit shiny, but is otherwise a decent size and shape. This bow is detachable, but I would leave it on, as I feel it makes the collar look unfinished when the bow is detached. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. I like how neat the back looks, although there is a rogue 'drip' to the collar shape on the back, which I am not so fond of. The stock photos show that the skirt is quite full and flares outwards well enough. I dislike the skirt though, and I think a big part of that is the over-stitched ruffle at the bottom. There is something about the spacing and how big the ruffle at the bottom is that feels a bit 'off'. Also, the over-stitched ruffle causes a very bumpy silhouette which just looks clunky and awkward. On a more positive note, the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with some star and AP logo themed lace. Personally, I think the star lace used on the sleeves and bodice is a lot cuter, but at least the bottom hem lace is still of a good quality and matches the theme.
This is the JSK. The bodice looks a bit loose and droopy. I am also not a big fan of the waistline shape and I feel the neckline could have been rounder and softer. The straps are very thin and don't look supportive at all. The lace lining the outsides of the straps and the neckline is cute though, and at least helps stop the straps from looking too plain. The majority of the bodice is kept simple, with just some very thin lines of lace. Given how showy the neckline is, I can appreciate AP wanting to keep the rest of the bodice simple. The neckline features a dripping design, which uses the stripy organza again. To be honest, I do think the drips could have been better shaped, as in some of the close up pictures the edges look a bit too straight and not rounded enough. I also don't feel the choice of the stripy fabric works as well for this 'melty' part as it does for the collar on the OP. The melty panel is topped with a ribbon bow, which is a nice shape and size, but the ribbon chosen is a bit too shiny. The star charm dangling from this bow is very cute though. This bow is detachable, but with it detached, I think the dress looks odd and it feels like something is missing. So I would definitely leave the bow on. The back is fully shirred, so there is plenty of size flexibility, but the exposed shirring is not attractive to look at. The stock photos show that the skirt has a generous amount of volume and it flares outwards beautifully. I love the full shape used in the stock photos and think there is a lot of potential to create a great shape at home. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed excellently. The bottom hem is then finished off with the same star and logo themed lace.
Finally, here is what the print looks like. This series comes in white, pink, sax blue and blue. After looking at all the different colours, I have taken a bit of a disliking to the white version. I think the other 3 colours work well with the print and I especially love how the pink version has a nice combination of pink and purple tones. The non-sax blue version is pretty too, but I personally would have preferred a slightly darker shade than the one used. As for the print itself, it looks like an incoherent mess to me. I think the reason why I like the pink and darker blue versions more is because the drippy 'melty' mess in the background isn't as obvious on those 2 colours. The idea of teaming stars with a melting background just seems really bizarre to me. The stars in the print are adorable though. Replace the melting goop with clouds and this print could have been a slightly different take on Misty Sky, which would not have been a bad thing in my opinion.
I was surprised at how quickly this series sold out. Clearly people are seeing something here which I am not. I dislike the dress designs and the print itself is not much better. I don't mind when AP uses melting designs usually, but here I think the drips look really unpleasant. So I think it is safe to say I would not buy this series. My top choice would be the JSK in the darker blue, although I do love the colours on the pink version as well. For the moment I am just holding out hope for some cute star themed jewellery in the near future.
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